Leisure Painter is the UK's best selling learn-to-paint magazine. You can see sample pages from the magazine here. The full issue contains: - Imaginative painting with gouache - How to paint mood and light in watercolour - Paint from photographs including birds, landscapes, seascapes, flowers - Beginners' oil painting - Paint outdoors with acrylic - Drawing made easy
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Imaginative painting with gouache 9 770024 071133 05 THE UK’S BEST-SELLING LEARN-TO-PAINT MAGAZINE MAY 2013 £3.70 www.painters-online.co.uk WIN tickets to the new Lowry exhibition at Tate Britain Try something new! How to use grounds Beginners’ oil painting Spring’s here! Paint outdoors with acrylics Drawing made easy Step-by-step watercolour Coloured pencil techniques How to paint mood and light in watercolour PAINT FROM PHOTOGRAPHS ● Birds ● Landscapes ● Seascapes ● Flowers News from the art clubs
Transcript
Imaginativepainting with
gouache
9770024
0711
33
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T H E U K ’ S B E S T - S E L L I N G L E A R N - T O - P A I N T M A G A Z I N E
Leisure Painter is publishedevery four weeks by: The Artists’ Publishing CompanyLimited, Caxton House,63-65 High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BDTel:Tenterden (01580) 763315
Managing Director:Dr. Sally Bulgin, Hon VPRBSA
We would like readers to notethat the statements made bycontributors are not always representative of the publisher’s opinion.
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Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd., Ashford, Kent.Newstrade distribution by Warners Group Publications plc.Telephone 01778 391000.
Incorporating Leisure Painterand Craftsman and Creative Crafts
VOLUME 47/5ISSUE 507
www.leisurepainter.co.uk
www.painters-online.co.uk
ISSN 0024-0710
MAY 2013
CONTENTS6 This month’s
contributorsHow to contact your favourite tutors
8 Tame & wild winnersPlus how to photograph wild birds
10 Your month starts hereDates for your diary
12 Today’s ArtistsRobin CaponRobin talks to Melissa Launay about her painting life
17 Focus on… a bird portraitPaul HopkinsonAn easy-to-follow demonstration of a marsh tit in watercolour
22 Painting project phase 1Colin SteedPainting from a photograph, Colin explains how to simplify a busy woodland scene
24 BacklightingSean Terrington WrightLearn to produce watercolourpaintings full of mood, light and atmosphere
27 Painting project phase 2Jane WardPractise wet-in-wet watercolour topaint a beautiful Italian lake scene
www.painters-online.co.uk
COVERMelissa Launay The Glowing Memory of a Summer’s Dream, gouache on paper,18x241⁄2in. (46x62cm). Find out moreabout Melissa Launay’s work on page 12
30 Tony Paul’s top ten tipsTony introduces oil painting to the beginner
33 From here to eternityElena ParashkoBuild your confidence with oil painting by following astep-by-step demonstration of a beach scene
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www.painters-online.co.uk MAY 2013 5
36 How do I draw that?Linda BirchFollow a few simpletechniques that will help you to draw more fluently
39 Spring on theKilham RoadTony HoganTony records the coming of spring in the third of his four seasonal paintings of North Yorkshire
42 Play of lightVeronica WintersHone your coloured pencilskills by following a simpleflower drawing demonstration
44 GoldenGroundsTim FisherTim introduces a set of six grounds to bring a newdimension to your work
48 Say farewell tomuddy coloursRos RowellHints & tips to help you paint better watercolours
50 EffortlessarrangementsSharon DouglasHow to adapt your equipmentto suit your needs
55 New publicationsThe latest practical art books are reviewed
56 ShowtimesExhibitions around the country
62 Art clubsNews, profiles, exhibitions and ‘best in show’ gallery
66 Art club businessJohn GrantJohn concludes his series by responding to readers’correspondence
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LP ON-SALE DATES 2013
ISSUES ON SALEJune 26 AprilJuly 24 MaySummer 21 JuneAugust 19 JulySeptember 16 AugustOctober 13 SeptemberNovember 11 OctoberDecember 8 November
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TESTREPORT
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40 MAY 2013 www.painters-online.co.uk
Step 3 I blended small amounts of jaune brilliant, madder brown and aneven smaller proportion of dioxin purple into a tinting white base toform the shapes and structures of the clouds. To emphasise theirstructure I used pure titanium white on the top edges then blended itinto the lower, darker areas, painting wet into wet. This stage neededlots of attention as the form, shape and tonality of the clouds will playa significant part in visually bringing the trees forward at a later stage.
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Step 6 1 The small areas of field showing behind the hedges wereestablished with greens on the left side, and on the right bypainting a distant hedge in indigo. The rest of the grass vergewas created in small dashes of fat paint with previously usedcolours and forest green. Often at this stage I have two andthree undiluted colours on the brush at one time to createtexture. Working wet in wet, I balanced the lighter anddarker shades as I saw them. I also painted the firstindication of long tree shadows across the verge and road.2 I wanted to take control of the trees in order to balancethe painting at this stage so developed the one to the rightforeground and focussed on creating the solidity of the trees by working the lights and darks of the trunks.
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Step 4 Spring really started to come to life as the first areas of freshgreens were established on the verges on both sides of the road,and on the initial development of the hedges. The long road toKilham also took on its first suggestion of colour and a few treepositions were re-established. The verges and first marks of thehedges were created using permanent sap green, jaune brilliant,white, yellow ochre and permanent green light.
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Step 71 Time was now spent on using dark tones to render thesmaller, finer branches and top twigs of the foregroundtrees, making them stand out against the sky and givingdepth and form to individual trees.2 All the time minor adjustments were made throughoutthe painting to balance the aspects of light and shade.3 The development of the hedge on the right of the roadwas given more attention, and the first touches of newgreen leaves began to be painted on the trees.
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ACRYLICS DEMONSTRATION continued
Step 5 1 Working around the entire painting, significant aspects of the distant trees and hedges were established along with furtherdevelopment of the road. Darker tones were introduced using dioxan purple, indigo blue and madder brown. 2 Forming the texture and bark of the tree meant capturing thehighlights on the left side using Naples yellow and jaune brilliantmixed with white. Hints of mid tones using dioxin purple and indigoblue, both lightened with white, were also worked into the trunks.
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LP05 39-41 Hogan:Layout 1 15/3/13 16:26 Page 40
MAY 2013 41www.painters-online.co.uk
Step 8 1 I painted the tree stump in the right foreground andundertook further development of the hawthorn hedge. 2 A small tree away in the distanceto the right of the stump wasplaced to give depth to that area of the work. The feeling of depthwas further promoted by theintroduction of the branches of a tree coming in from the right of the painting.3 To add more impact, dark tonalvalues were established throughoutthe whole work by placing carefulmarks of indigo blue, burnt umberand dioxin purple. Sometimes theywere used as pure individualcolours and sometimes as a mixture of all three.4 The shadow across the verge androad, a major aspect of the work,was now painted to conclusion.
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Step 9 1 There is a temptation to rush for the finishingline, but I recommend that you give as muchtime and attention to this final, vital stage aspreviously spent on the work. The final paintingof fine branches and twigs on top of the baretrees was still needed. 2 Spring greens for the new shoots of leaves(notably on the front right of the image) wereadded carefully. The light to the left of the spring green leaves needed more work by both lightening the left side and darkening the right and under sides.3 Finally, and most importantly, overalladjustments to tonal areas of the whole painting,including the background and sky, were made.
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VARNISHINGAs with all acrylic and oil paintings you will notice someshrinkage as the work dries, making the work look flatterand often slightly darker in tone. It is possible to reducethis effect by using a medium while painting, but I preferto wait until the work is completely dry (at least two orthree days) then varnish with Atelier Interactive Satinvarnish/medium. If you’re recording your work, ensure you photograph the painting before you varnish it; doingso afterwards can cause patina or light reflection, whichdistorts the photograph. It is best to do this while the workis still wet and before shrinkage or darkening takes place.
The finishedpainting Spring on Kilham Road,Atelier InteractiveAcrylics on cottoncanvas, 20x30in.(51x76cm). Find out moreabout Tony’spainting holidaysin North Yorkshireon page 60.
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Before you start I worked on light grey paper, but youcould work on white. If you choosewhite paper, leave the highlights free of any colour. White pencil or anyother light colour is not applied inthose areas, while it is used forshading on coloured paper. I often choose acoloured pencil of any light colour totransfer the outlines to my drawingpaper. When light colours are appliedover a graphite line, the graphitebecomes much darker; this can ruinyour drawing, especially when you’redrawing white objects. Use window light to transfer the outline.
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In the March issue of LP, I introduced you to myflower drawing methods, first
in graphite then in colour. Inthe coming months, I will besetting you easy-to-followexercises from photographs.We’ll start with simple flowershapes and build up to morecomplicated techniques andideas. Because I use a specific brand
of coloured pencils, PrismacolorPremier, my colour namesmight not match yours. ThusI’m including swatches of thecolours I used in thisdemonstration (below) foreasier colour matching. Many of these colours can bereplaced with similar ones incolour temperature and value. I have composed and shot the
reference photographs with myaesthetic in mind. Rememberthat you will bemissing animportant stepin your ownartisticdevelopment ifyou don’t drawand paint fromlife and yourownarrangements. I have alsoincluded black-and-whitephotographs to show howcolours must be translated to tonal valuesby artists.
COLOURED PENCIL
42 MAY 2013 www.painters-online.co.uk
You will need� Surface� Light grey
drawing paper(smooth), orStrathmore white drawingpaper (mediumor Bristolsmooth) 5x7in. (13x18cm)
� Miscellaneous� 2H or HB
graphite pencil� Kneaded
eraser� Turpenoid or
odourlessmineral spirits
� Small brushfor blending
� Colouredpencils� See colours
(below)
Colours�
French grey 20%
CreamWhite
Grassgreen
BlackApplegreen
Canaryyellow
Spanishorange
Darkgreen
Darkumber
Parmaviolet
Non-photoblue
Sand
A black-and-white version ofthe photographhelps youtranslate colourinto tone – avaluable skill for the artist
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Plumeria, the subject of this demonstration. Notice that onlyone petal is lit by the sun while everything else is in shadow
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Here is a schematic drawing of the flower to illustrategeneral direction, curvature, and gesture of the blossom.
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Hone your coloured pencil skills with Veronica Winters as she embarks on a series of simple flower demonstrations
Play of light
LP05 42-43 Winters:Layout 1 15/3/13 15:43 Page 42
MAY 2013 43www.painters-online.co.uk
Step 31 Add light yellow (canary yellow) and medium yellow (Spanish orange)into the centre and petals of the flower. 2 Take a small brush and paint over thebackground with turpenoid. Be carefulnot to drag dark colour into the floweritself. White will be blended differently.Leave it to dry for a few minutes. Thebackground looks much darker andsmoother now.
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Step 4 1 Finish blending the petals byapplying French grey 20% overthe previously drawn shadows.Also add cream and white in the lightest spots. 2 Make sure that the lightestpetal on the left has themaximum of white. If you draw on white paper, this petalwill stay free of any colour. 3 Add crispness or clarity to theflower by outlining a few edgeswith the pencil’s sharp point.
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Step 11 Block in the background with dark green. Apply various pencilpressures for this stage. 2 In general, white objects oftenabsorb and/or reflect surroundingcolours. In flowers, artists mustfind hues that are hidden behindthe grey or white we most often
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see. Try to discover a colourfulmix within grey. In this case, use a combination of light blue (non-photo blue) and lightviolet (parma violet) to fill in the shadows of the flower. 3 Add touches of dark umber to its centre.
Step 21 Add other greens seen in the colour swatches. Guide yourself by understanding the tonal values. If the area is dark, choose a variety of dark greens, but if the area is close to the middle tone, use lighter greens. 2 Keep adding browns or reds, or even indigo blue into the mix for additional colour variations.
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The finished drawing Plumeria,coloured pencil, 5x7in. (13x18cm)
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